


Too Late?

by samfern



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 12:21:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16723305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samfern/pseuds/samfern
Summary: Archie wants to finish telling Betty what he was going to say the day Veronica announced that she and Archie were dating.





	Too Late?

Archie's POV

Ever since Betty told me that she has feelings for me, I've felt different. But I'm with Veronica and Betty's with Jughead, we're all happy and that's all anyone wants. But that night, it plays over in my head.

"I'm asking you now, right now, if you love me Archie. Or even like me?"  
"Of course I love you, Betty. But I can't give you the answer you want."  
"Why?"  
"You are so perfect. I've never been good enough for you. I'll never good enough for you."  
And then Betty walked inside without another word. 

And then there was when Veronica and I told everyone we were together. I went to check on Betty.

"Betty, I know you said you were okay about me and Veronica, but I just wanted to make sure—"  
"Because last time I said I was okay, I wasn't. But this time, I promise, I am."  
"Great."  
"You and Veronica?"  
"I like her a lot. She's amazing. But a little part of me always thought—"  
And Betty cut me off. 

If she let me finish, she would've known that I always thought her and I would end up together. Not with our other friends. But I think she knew that's what I wanted to say, and thought it'd be better if I didn't say it. I wish I had though, I wish I didn't let her interrupt me because who knows, maybe we'd be together right now. But it's not too late. And I'm gonna tell her on our way to school this morning.

I get to her front door just as she opening it.  
"Hey Arch!"  
"Morning Betty, lets go."

We talk about random and pointless things as we walk and then I stop her.  
"Can we talk about something serious for a minute?"  
"Yeah, what's up Archie?"  
Betty seemed a little worried, not knowing what I could possibly have to say.  
"A few months ago, when I made sure you were okay with Veronica and I... I went to say something, but you cut me off. Do you remember?"  
"Umm no, I don't think so. Why?"  
"Well when I asked if you were okay, you said you were."  
"And I still am. Is that what you're worried about?"  
"No. You said you were fine, and I said, 'A little part of me always thought' and then you cut me off. And I wanted to finish what I was saying."  
"All these months later? Why now Arch?"  
"Because it's all I've been thinking about the past while. If you let me finish what I was gonna say that day, I would've said, 'A little part of me always thought you and I would be together. After all our years of friendship and being so close, I thought it'd be us. Not us with other people.' I would've said that. And I still feel that way."  
"Archie... I..."  
"And I know you're with Jughead and I'm with Veronica. But if we weren't with them. What would you say? What would you have said if I finished that day?"  
"You know what I would've said. And that's why I stopped you, because we're with other people. It's too late Archie, we'd hurt our friends."  
"But it's not Betty, it's not too late. And honestly the only person I cared that I hurt was you. I can't stand that I hurt you. And I can't stand that I haven't said something sooner. I hate myself for it."  
"Archie, what do you want me to say?"  
"I want you to say that you still want to be with me. Because I wanna be with you. I don't care about Veronica and Jughead, because I think they'd understand. They both knew about your feelings, and I think they're starting to pick up on mine?"  
"On yours?"  
"Well yeah Betty. I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't have those feelings too. So, what do you say?"  
"Archie of course I want to be with you, you know that. But we can't just break up with our people and immediately become a couple."  
"So we wait a bit, not to be together, but to tell everyone. We can tell our families but that's it. Maybe we don't even have to tell them, we're at each other's houses all the time, nothing would really be different."  
"Okay."  
"Okay?"  
"Yeah, okay Archie, I'm in."  
I go to hug Betty and she hugs me back. I knew that it wasn't too late for us. And I knew that this would be something great and we wouldn't just be "another couple", we'd be a real couple. Even if that's something unrealistic in high school, I didn't care because how would anything be ruined with us ever, even if we broke up. Betty is and always will be my best friend.


End file.
